Google | Internet Marketing Blog

Google battles fat fingers

With mobile internet usage skyrocketing, and more and more publishers investing in developing mobile experiences, it's no surprise that expectations for mobile advertising are high.

That doesn't mean, however, that challenges don't exist. One of the biggest: fat fingers, which are producing clicks that consumers never intended but advertisers have to pay for

by Patricio Robles 14 December 2012 17:16pm 2 comments

The UK's top Google searches for 2012 revealed

It’s been a big year for over-hyped news stories in the UK. Kate Middleton’s pregnancy, the chief whip calling the police plebs, the usual guff around X Factor and footballers refusing to shake hands, to name but a few.

But which stories have really caught the nation’s imagination?

Well wonder no more, as Google has come to the rescue with its search zeitgeist for 2012.

The stats below reveal the UK’s top trending search topics, the most popular ‘What is…’ and ‘How to...’ queries and the most searched-for individuals.

So, here’s what you’ve all been searching for this year...

by David Moth 11 December 2012 10:57am 9 comments

How optimising video for search can double Google traffic

A new report into the use of online video has found that sites could more than double their Google traffic by including a video thumbnail in search rankings.

The two case studies included in Visibility IQ's Social Video Report add weight to the argument that brands need to optimise their rich snippets for search, as it gives them a valuable advantage in attracting clicks.

We've already blogged 10 ways of optimising videos for search and looked at how video marketing powers SEO.

Here is a summary of the two case studies as well as details taken from our Online Video Best Practice Guide on how to optimise video content for search...

by David Moth 06 December 2012 10:18am 3 comments

Only 20% of Fortune 100 CMOs are active in social networks

As social leadership is an increased focus for global businesses, BusinessNext went in search of the top 25 CMOs in Fortune 100 Companies. In the end, they could only find 20 as only one in five CMOs on the Fortune 100 list are active in public social networks. I'd concur, though, that number is higher than previous years.

Despite The CMO Survey's recent projection of an 150% increase in social spending in marketing budgets over the next five years, the majority of the senior staff holding the purse strings are yet to establish a social footprint of their own. Is this an indication that they don't understand the space, or is it that they put their efforts in promoting the brands they work for instead of the brand of "me"?

by Heather Taylor 04 December 2012 18:43pm 2 comments

Microsoft warns consumers: don't get Scroogled

Many of the millions of consumers shopping this holiday season will turn to the world's most popular search engine, Google, in search of the perfect gift at the perfect price.

But Microsoft has a message for those consumers: be careful, you might get Scroogled.

by Patricio Robles 29 November 2012 16:24pm 3 comments

Apple's iOS 6 update means 86% of Google referral traffic is encrypted

When Apple first launched IOS 6 all the talk was about the usability problems with the news maps.

However the new mobile operating system brought with it a bigger issue for website owners, as publishers no longer receive Google referral data from IOS 6 users.

As pointed out by Search Engine Land, the problem is caused by Apple’s decision to route Google searches made through the Safari search box to an encrypted version of Google search.

It means a big proportion of Safari organic search traffic is now being misread as being 'direct' traffic, so publishers don’t know how IOS 6 users found their websites through organic Google search.

by David Moth 26 November 2012 13:32pm 8 comments

US traffic to Google News remains flat while Yahoo News grows dramatically

Back on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, Google News turned 10 years old. Like many other superstars who have spent too much time in the media spotlight, the news search engine needs to check itself into rehab and relook at its news settings.

Maybe then it can figure out why the number of unique visitors to Google News remained flat in the U.S. while Yahoo News has grown dramatically.

by Greg Jarboe 20 November 2012 18:21pm 2 comments

After the web, what’s next for digital?

Without a doubt, the most significant media disruptor in recent history has been the internet, and it’s reasonable to consider the last 10 to 15 years the “internet era.” If the long history of disruptions has taught us anything it is that we need to ask, what era will be next?

Even if we can’t predict the future, we need only look around us in digital media and technology to guess and stay informed of what’s down the road. As we have seen how quickly prominent companies have fallen, foresight is sure to pay dividends for marketers, publishers, and generally everyone who interacts with the world around them.

It’s a time for bold statements. It’s a time for stretching the imagination to glimpse at our future “beyond the internet.”

by Jonathan Gardner 15 November 2012 14:40pm 5 comments

Seven Silicon Valley benefits and perks your company might want to avoid

When it comes to building a successful business, many companies, digital and otherwise, look to Silicon Valley for cues. And why shouldn't they? The region has been a source of incredible innovation for decades and in the past has produced some of the most successful companies in the world in recent years.

But what has worked in Silicon Valley isn't guaranteed to work outside of Silicon Valley, and when it comes to employee benefits and perks, companies should think carefully about what Silicon Valley innovations they adopt.

by Patricio Robles 13 November 2012 15:10pm 2 comments

Is Google's YouTube original content push failing?

In late 2011, Google announced that it would invest $100m in developing original content for YouTube. The idea: team up with the most promising homegrown YouTube sensations, Hollywood studios, celebrities, brands and agencies to answer the question, "What comes after television?"